


The Happiest Bros on Earth

by Mangoesaregood8



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Amusement Park, Amusement Parks, Animals, Crack, Cute, Developing Relationship, Disney Date, Disney World & Disneyland, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, Gladnis, Hiking, Hotels, Humor, Love, M/M, Promptis - Freeform, Roller Coasters, Sight seeing, Silly, Summer Vacation, Sweet, Vacation, Work In Progress, date, theme park
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-05-14 11:47:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19272655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mangoesaregood8/pseuds/Mangoesaregood8
Summary: The boys have been working pretty hard, so Ignis decides it's time for a vacation.  He looks up multiple destinations, but "the happiest place on earth" catches his eye.  He books their flights, and Gladio, Prompto, Noctis, and Ignis are in for a vacation they will never forget.





	1. Chapter 1

“Rise and shine princess. Time to get up.”

Noctis groaned and rolled onto his other side as he pulled the blanket over his head.  “Five more minutes Gladio.”

“Nope.  I’m not falling for that again.  Get up.”

“Ugh…” The prince rubbed at his eyes and blinked a few times before looking bleary-eyed around the room.  “It’s still dark out. Why are we getting up so early?”

“We've got a plane to catch. Come on.” Gladio grabbed the sheets and yanked them away from Noctis. 

“Huh?” Noctis sat up slowly and shivered as he reached for the blankets. “What plane?”

“What? Iggy didn't tell you yet?” Gladio asked. 

"Tell me what?"

"We're going on vacation.  He's been planning this for months."

"Vacation?" Noctis flopped back on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm.  "Why can't we go to Galdin Quay? It's closer and there's fishing."

"We can stay there any time we want.  How often do you get to visit the happiest place on Earth?" Gladio asked. 

"Can I go fishing?" Noctis asked. 

Gladio rolled his eyes and huffed. "Hurry up and get ready. We gotta leave in half an hour."

"How am I supposed to get ready when I don't know where we're going or how long we'll be there? I'm not even packed," Noctis complained. 

"Iggy already took care of that.  He wanted to surprise you." 

Noctis groaned then slowly pushed himself back up into a sitting position.  "This better be the happiest place on Earth, or you both owe me a fishing trip."

Gladio threw one of Noctis's shirts at him. "Get dressed and be downstairs in 30 minutes.  If I have to come wake you up again, I'm dumping cold water on you." He closed the door behind him to give Noctis some privacy.

"Yeah, but you'll have to clean it up," Noctis called through the door.  He stood up and stretched, wincing as his spine popped in multiple spots.  He changed into his clothes for the day, opting for his usual dark capris, shirt, and jacket.  He shoved his feet into his boots and ruffled his hair before brushing his teeth and trudged down the stairs. 

"I see someone finally decided to join us," Ignis said.  He had a half empty can of Ebony in one hand and a newspaper in the other. "I've fixed breakfast if you're hungry."

Noctis grumbled and sat down at the table. The finish on it had faded long ago, but it was still sturdy enough for their use. 

"You ready Noct?" Prompto asked.  He was fiddling with the dials on his camera.  “It’s been a while since all of us went on a vacation.  I’m pretty excited!”

“I still don’t see why we had to get up so early.”  Noctis was still having trouble keeping his eyes open.

“We don’t want to miss our plane,” Ignis said over the lip of the Ebony can.  “Now, if you’re not going to eat, we should be on our way.”

“I’ll eat later.” Noctis slumped forward and rested his head against the table.

“I’ll go pack the car.” Gladio stood up and stretched his back.  “Still have to get my bag in there.” He took the steps two at a time and disappeared in the room he was sharing with Ignis during their stay at the cape.

“How far is it to the airport Iggy?” Prompto asked.  

“It’s not too long of a drive.  I’d say it’s about an hour away,” Ignis replied.

Prompto nudged Noctis’s leg under the table with the toe of his shoe.  “You still awake over there buddy?”

“Not technically.”  Noctis blinked and propped his head up in his hand.

“You can sleep in the car.” Ignis finished his coffee and threw the can away before grabbing the keys to the Regalia.  “I trust you can make it there before falling asleep again.”

“I got him.”  Prompto put his camera in his bag and grabbed Noctis’s arm to hoist the prince to his feet.

Noctis groaned but shuffled out the door.  He climbed into the back seat of the Regalia and rested his head on the door.  Despite the early hour, it was nice out. There was a refreshing breeze blowing away the suffocating summer heat from yesterday.

Gladio managed to squeeze his duffle bag into the trunk of the Regalia and shut it before climbing in next to Noctis.  “Going back to sleep already?”

“Yup.  Good night.”

Ignis and Prompto climbed into the front and they pulled away from the cape and onto the main road.  Noctis was asleep before their tires hit the pavement.

It was a smooth and quiet ride to the airport.  Ignis pulled into an underground parking structure and turned off the car.

“Hey Noct.  Get up.”

“Huh?”  Noctis yawned and sat up.  “Where are we?”

“We’re at the airport.  Can you believe we’re gonna ride an airplane?” Prompto asked. 

“What’s so special about an airplane?” Noctis climbed out of the Regalia and waited as Gladio handed each of them a suitcase.  “How long are we gonna be on it?”

“The quickest flight I could find was four hours,” Ignis said as he went over their schedule.  “The quickest direct flight anyway.”

“Four hours?  Ugh…” Noctis frowned.  “Don’t tell me I’m gonna be stuck next to Gladio the whole time.”

“You got a problem sitting next to me?” Gladio asked.

“No worries, you’ll be sitting next to Prompto.  Gladio will be sitting with me,” Ignis said to quickly defuse the impending argument.  

Gladio held in his comment and shoved a suitcase in Noctis’s direction.  “Here. This one’s for you.”

“Thanks.” Noctis took the suitcase and pulled up the handle.  “Now where do we go?”

“Toward security to get checked in.  Then we need to find our gate and wait until we’re allowed to board,” Ignis explained.  He put the roof on the Regalia and made sure it was locked before slipping the keys into his pocket.

Prompto was practically bouncing as he walked next to Noctis.  “Don’t worry if you get board. We can play King’s Knight. I brought my charger too, so we don’t have to worry about our phones dying.”

“Good, because I don’t have mine on me,” Noctis said.

“Your charger is in your carry on bag,” Ignis said.

“You really thought ahead on all this Specs,” Noctis said.

“Of course.  Did you expect any less from your Tactician?”  Ignis asked with a smirk.

The four men found their way through the winding garage to the elevator and took it up to the main level.  Right across from the elevator were multiple sets of check in terminals that stretched across the entire floor.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been to the airport before,” Prompto said.  “I didn’t think it would be this big.”

“Big?  It’s huge!” Noctis said.  He had never been to the airport either.  His father had much rather preferred to travel by land in the Regalia, or if necessary, by sea.  Noctis never understood why, but he never complained when he could take a nap during long car rides.  The smooth movements of the Regalia always put him right to sleep.

“Are we gonna be able to find our way around this place?” Gladio asked as he took everything in.  “It’s even bigger than the Citadel.”

“Yes, but the airport has fewer floors.  I printed out a map the two weeks ago and have been studying it every night over the past week.  Once we check in here, the security checkpoint is up ahead to the left,” Ignis said.

There weren’t many people at the airport yet, so they didn’t have to wait in line for long before they were each able to check in at a kiosk.  Ignis put in their flight information, and the machine printed out a ticket for each of them and a bag tag for their luggage. The attached the tags and dropped their suitcases off before Ignis led the way to security. 

Here the line was a bit longer.  They only had one lane open, so the people in front of them were moving at a snail’s pace.  Time seemed to drag on as they waited, and after what felt like hours, they finally made it to the front.  Each man was handed a container and was instructed to put their carry on bags inside along with their shoes and anything that might be in their pockets.  Prompto grabbed an extra bin and laid his camera gingerly down inside. They all took their shoes off and waited till they could pass through the scanner.

“Sir, you’ll need to take off your necklace and chain, and put on a shirt before we can let you through,” one of the security agents said as they gestured to Gladio.

“What do you mean I have to put on a shirt?  I’m wearing a jacket.” Gladio scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

The security guard stood up, but Gladio still towered over him.  “It’s part of the dress code. You have to wear clothing that covers your chest and midsection.”

“You have a problem with scars or something?” Gladio asked.

“No, of course not sir.  It’s company policy. All guests have to follow it.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem if you wore a shirt like a normal person,” Noctis quipped.

“Says the guy who’s too embarrassed to show off his scrawny body.”

“I am not scrawny.  And hurry up, you’re holding up the line.”

Glaido eyed his carry on in the line of bags that still needed to go through the scanner.  He slipped out of his jacket and traded it for a black tank top before taking his spot back in line.  “Is this better?”

“Yes sir.  You still need to remove your necklace and wallet chain though.  No metal can pass through the machine.”

Gladio rolled his eyes but did as he was told.  “How about now?”

“Thank you for your cooperation sir.  Please step through.”

Gladio stepped into the machine and held his arms up as he was instructed.  The machine spun around him as it scanned him and once it was finished he stepped onto the mat on the other side.

Another guard looked over a screen and shook his head.  “Sir, we’re going to need you to step to the side.

“What for?”

“Are you sure you took everything out of your pockets?”

Gladio reached into his pockets and turned them out.  “Empty.”

As Gladio was pulled to the side, Ignis, Prompto, and Noctis managed to pass through the gate with no incident.  They grabbed their belongings and waited as Gladio was searched.

One guard had grabbed a metal detector wand and was hovering it over Gladio’s torso and thighs.  Each time it passed over his right thigh, it would go off with a shrill beep.

“Sir, we’re going to have to pat you down.  It’s all standard procedure. Please hold your arms out to the side.”

“Fine.”  Gladio held his arms out and waited.  “How much longer is this gonna take?”

“We just have to make sure you’re not carrying anything onboard the plane that you shouldn’t be.  It’s for everyone’s safety.” The guard knelt down in front of Gladio and used the backs of his interlocked fingers to feel over Gladio’s leg.  After a minute he stood up and brushed the dust off of his pants. I think it’s just the zipper in your pants. You’re free to go.”

“Finally.”  Gladio walked through the security checkpoint and grabbed his bag.  

“I thought we were gonna have to leave you behind,” Noctis teased.  “I didn’t think they were ever gonna let you go.”

“Yeah well if they kept me here, you wouldn’t be getting very far,” Glaido said.

“We still have plenty of time before we need to board.  Why don’t we find our gate?” Ignis asked. 

“Where is it?” Prompto asked.

Ignis checked his boarding pass.  “Terminal E, Gate 52.”

“And where are we?” Noctis asked.

Ignis found the closest directory and checked their location.  “We’re in Terminal A.”

“Wait it’s on the other side of the airport?” Noctis asked.

“It would appear so.”

“You couldn’t have parked any closer?” Noctis complained.

“Think about it this way, you can get a nice morning workout,” Gladio said.

“I don’t need a workout.  I thought you said I was scrawny,” Noctis said.

“Isn’t it a little early to be arguing?” Prompto asked.

Ignis led the party through the airport, following the signs posted on the walls until they finally arrived in Terminal E.

“This place feels a lot bigger when you have to walk around it,” Prompto said.

“Tell me about it,” Noctis said.

They managed to find seats together in a corner of the gate and sat down.  Noctis and Prompto were browsing on their phones and Gladio buried himself into his book.  Ignis was checking through their itinerary to make sure his carefully planned schedule would still work out, and where he could tweak it if necessary.

Before long, a flight attendant started calling the boarding groups for their flight, starting with first class.

“That should be us,” Ignis said.  He placed his papers back in their folder and slipped the folder into his bag.

“Flying first class?  Sounds fancy,” Prompto said.

The four men joined the line and were checked into their flight one by one.  One on board, they stashed their bags under the seats in front of them. Noctis insisted on taking the window seat.

“Come on Noct, let me have the window seat.  You’re just gonna sleep the whole time anyway.  I wanna get some pictures!” Prompto complained.

“I called it first.  I’m taking the window seat.”  Noctis took his seat and closed the shutter.

“Noct, please.  You’re not even using the window,” Prompto whined. 

“Yeah I am.  It’s my pillow.”

Prompto slumped down in the seat next to Noctis and fastened his lap belt.

Gladio and Ignis took the seats behind them.  

“How long did you say we’d be stuck on this thing?” Gladio asked.

“Four hours,” Ignis replied.

“Good.  I think I can finish my book before then.”  Gladio had been using his thumb as a bookmark as they boarded and opened his book back up.

Ignis continued to look over their schedule, coming up with alternative versions, just in case the weather didn’t cooperate with them.  Prompto and Noctis stayed on their phones for the duration of the flight.

It was a smooth flight from Insomnia to Orlando.  They touched down at the airport a few minutes early.  They grabbed their bags and exited the plane. They stopped by baggage claim to pick up their suitcases and waited as Ignis organized his papers.

“So what now Specs?” Noctis asked.

“Now we head to the hotel.”

“Where are we staying?”

“It’s a place called the Polynesian Resort.”

“Is it anything like the hotel in Galdin?” Prompto asked.

“A bit, yes.  It has similar amenities as well as a spa.  And according to their website, there are even a few fishing spots.”

“Did you say fishing?” Noctis asked with a small smile. 

“Yes.  I had to make sure there was something for everyone to enjoy.  I’m sure you’ll find our lodging to your satisfaction. It is a catch and release program, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy yourself nonetheless.”

“As long as I catch something, I’ll be happy,” Noctis said.

“How are we getting to the hotel?” Gladio asked.  “Did you rent a car?”

“No, our scheduled transportation should be arriving shortly,” Ignis said.  He checked the time on his phone. “Actually, they should be here any moment now.”

“Well let’s go see!  I can’t wait to check out the hotel!” Prompto said as he bounded for the door.

“Hey Prompto, wait up!” Noctis chased after him with Gladio and Ignis following closely behind.

The first thing to hit them as the left the airport was the intense heat and humidity.

“Oh gods, it’s worse here than it is at Lestallum,” Noctis complained.  He used his free hand to fan himself. They were surrounded by motorcoaches, and their combined exhaust wasn’t helping matters.

“We should cool off once we reach the hotel,” Ignis said.  He checked his phone again as it vibrated in his pocket. “Good our vehicle is here.”

“Where is it?” Prompto asked.

A small van painted red with white polka dots pulled up in front of them.

“What the hell is that thing?” Noctis asked.

“That is our ride to the hotel.”

“No way, I’m not riding in that,” Noctis said.

“Why not Noct?  It looks awesome!  Let’s get in!” Prompto took his suitcase around to the back of the van.

“You couldn’t have gotten something that looks normal?” Noctis asked.

“I see no problem with this vehicle,” Ignis said.  “I thought it would be a good choice to help set the tone for our holiday.”

Noctis rolled his eyes but followed Prompto to have his suitcase packed into the trunk.  Once they were all seated inside, the driver pulled out of the airport and onto the main highway.

It was a short drive to the hotel.  Before long, they were driving down a narrow road with a sign that said Polynesian Resort to their left.

“So this is where we’re staying.  Not bad Iggy,” Gladio said as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“As I said, I tried to keep everyone in mind while deciding on a hotel,” Ignis said.  He adjusted his glasses as the hotel came into view.

The driver stopped to let them all out and helped to get their suitcases from the trunk.  Ignis paid his for the ride and they made their way into the lobby.

“Oh wow… This place is huge.” Noctis said as he looked around the lobby wide eyed.

Prompto already had his camera out and was taking pictures of everything that he could.

The lobby was spacious, and each side had plenty of red benches for guests to sit on.  In the middle of the room was a glass ceiling where a large lantern made of long bamboo sticks and glass covers with intricate rope work tied around them.

“Welcome to the Polynesian Resort,” an employee said from behind the front desk.  “Are we checking in?”

“Yes.” Ignis made his way to the front desk to check in and get their room keys with Gladio close behind.  

Noctis and Prompto hung back to explore the lobby.

“How big do you think this place is?” Prompto asked.

“I don’t know.” Noctis walked further into the lobby towards a large tiki statue sitting on top of a pile of rocks.  “What do you think this thing is?” 

“I don’t know.  I’ve never seen one before.”  Prompto aimed his camera and snapped a picture.

Gladio and Ignis joined them a few minutes later with their room keys.

“Shall we?” Ignis asked.

“Yeah!  I wanna see our room!” Prompto said.

“Rooms,” Ignis corrected.

“We got more than one room?” Noctis said.

“More than one bedroom.  We’ll all be staying in the same bungalow, but there are two bedrooms,” Ignis said.

“So I get my own room, and you, Prompto, and Gladio are sharing, right?” Noctis asked.

“Not exactly.  Gladio and I will be sharing a room, while you and Prompto share,” Ignis said.

Ignis led the way down the hall and back outside.  Here by the water, the temperature was much more bearable, but the humidity was still suffocating.  

“Is it going to be this hot the whole time we’re here?” Noctis asked.

“It’s shouldn’t be.  The forecast says this weekend will be much cooler with low humidity,” Ignis said.  He led the four of them down a dock to a small cabin on the water. He opened the front door and stood to the side to let everyone in.

They were greeted with a narrow hallway that opened up to a living area with a dining table large enough to fit eight people.

“You’ll be happy Iggy.  There’s a kitchen here,” Gladio said as he set his bag down on the coffee table.

“I’m aware.  That may have been included in why I chose this hotel.”  Ignis rolled his bag into the smaller room before going to check out the kitchen.  “It’s small, but I think it will do nicely.”

“We have our own pool?” Prompto asked.  His face was pressed against the glass of the back door.

“That’s the smallest pool I’ve ever seen,” Noctis said.  “It’s smaller than the bathtubs at Galdin.”

“The tubs at Galdin aren’t that small,” Prompto said.

“Fine, but you can’t swim in it.”

“No, but it’s good for a nice soak at the end of a long day,” Gladio said as he walked up behind them to get a look for himself.  “I’ll probably be spending a lot of my time out here. A nice breeze, a good book, and an ice cold beer. I probably wouldn’t stay awake long enough to read,” he said with a chuckle.

“I wanna go see my room,” Noctis said.  “I hope the beds here are better than the ones at the cape…”

“Your room is down the hall to the right,” Ignis said.

Noctis dragged his suitcase as he went to explore his room, and Prompto followed behind him.

“Check out our bed!” Prompto got a running start and launched himself onto it.

“You mean my bed?” Noctis shoved Prompto over to splay himself out on the bed.

Prompto frowned.  “What, you’re not gonna share with your best friend?  Where am I supposed to sleep?” 

“Alright, I guess I can share.”

“Thanks buddy!” Prompto hugged Noctis quickly before flopping onto his back.  “Oh yeah, soft beds baby.”

Noctis’s reply was cut off when he heard a knock at their door frame.

Ignis had his head poked into their room.  “I wanted to let you know that I left your keycards on the kitchen table.  We have nothing planned today, so please feel free to roam about and see what the resort has to offer.  I don’t recommend staying up too late, because we’ll have an early start in the parks tomorrow.”

“What?” Noctis frowned.  “We have to get up early again?”

“If it’s any consolation, we won’t be getting up nearly as early.”

Noctis grumbled and looked away.  “Why do we have to get up early to go to a park?”

“It’s not just any park,” Ignis said.  “It’s an amusement park.”

“You don’t wanna get stuck in all those long lines, do you Noct?” Prompto asked.

“I guess you’re right.”

“Have fun, but don’t stay up too late.”  Ignis left and closed the door behind him.

“So what do you wanna do first?” Noctis asked.

“I don’t know.  I have to see what there is to do here.”

“Well, I know what I’m gonna do.”

“What’s that?”

“Go fishing!  Come on let’s go!”  Noctis hopped off the bed and headed for the door.

“I guess I can go too.  I can get some cool shots of whatever you- hey Noct, wait for me!” Prompto jumped off the bed and rushed after Noctis.

Noctis was already halfway down the hallway.  “Then hurry up.”

Prompto scrambled to the kitchen to pick up their keycards then followed Noctis out to the door to the lagoon.

Ignis chuckled over the rim of his can of Ebony.

“So what do you wanna do while those two are out?” Gladio asked.  “They’re probably gonna be gone all day.”

“Knowing Noct, we’ll have the place to ourselves for a while.  The temperature isn’t too bad in the shade. Why don’t we sit outside?” Ignis suggested.

“Right behind you Iggy.” 

Ignis stepped outside and sat down in one of the deck chairs.  “I think this hotel was a wise decision.”

“Yeah, I agree.”  Gladio sat down next to him and laid back in the chair.  “Now if only they could deliver dinner to me.”

“I might be able to arrange that, but you would have to go shopping with me first to get all of the necessary ingredients,” Ignis said.

“Need someone to carry all those big heavy bags for you?” Gladio teased.  

“I can manage just fine on my own, but if you want to eat, then you’ll need to pull your own weight as well.”

“Yes sir.”

Ignis chuckled and shook his head.

“Do we have to go right now though?  I just sat down. I didn’t get a chance to finish my book because that damn kid behind me kept kicking my seat.”

“Go ahead and finish your book.  We can leave once you’re done.”

“Thanks Iggy.”  Gladio flipped his book open to the last chapter and started reading.

Ignis leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.  Even with the heat and humidity, sitting in the shade with the breeze blowing in off the water made being outside pleasant.  It wasn’t nearly as cool as sitting inside with the air conditioning, but it was still not a bad way to spend the afternoon. It would be a shame to have to leave soon, but he was sure his spot would still be waiting for him once dinner was done.


	2. Chapter 2

Ignis was the first one awake the next morning.  He rubbed at his eyes and turned off the alarm as to not disturb Gladio, and sat up slowly.  His head was pounding. He needed coffee now. Luckily while they were out last night, Gladio was able to find a pack of Ebony.  Ignis put on his glasses and stumbled toward the kitchen. He popped open the tab and took a few swigs. The bitter flavor of the coffee was refreshing in an odd way.  Ignis could feel the life returning to him slowly as the caffeine circulated through him. After a few more sips, Ignis was finally coherent enough to think. He needed to start on breakfast.  It was still early, but he wanted to have most of the cooking done before the others woke up. They would need a big breakfast to have enough energy for their first day in the park. Ignis had looked up all of the restaurants and other places to eat in the area, but who knew how much time they would have as they ran around from ride to ride.  He went over what groceries they had bought in his head and decided on bacon and eggs with a side of toast.

Ignis grabbed the ingredients and found the supplies he needed strewn throughout the tiny kitchen.  It almost reminded him of the kitchen from Noctis’s old apartment. Then again, even that apartment had an island that Ignis could work on.  This kitchen only had countertops along a short section of wall. It was a tight squeeze, but Ignis had worked with less while they were camping.  He could make this work.

Ignis was flipping the bacon in the pan when he heard the soft pad of footsteps down the hallway.  He looked up to see Prompto standing awkwardly in the opening to the living room.

“Morning Iggy,” he greeted.

“Good morning.  I’m surprised to see you’re up early.”

Prompto didn’t typically sleep in as late as Noctis, but he was no morning person by any stretch of the imagination.

“I couldn’t really sleep last night,” Prompto said.  The bags under his eyes could attest to that. “I’m too excited.”

“I see.  Since you’re up, would you mind helping me out?” Ignis asked.  

“Sure, what did you need?”

“Could you wake up Noct and Gladio and let them know breakfast is almost ready?”  Ignis was cracking the eggs into the pan now. Once they were all in, he could put the bread in the toaster and start plating everything up.

“No need to wake me up,” Gladio said from behind Prompto.  “Smelled your cooking from the bedroom. No way I could stay asleep through bacon.”

 Prompto jumped when Gladio spoke up.  “Hey! A little warning next time!”

“Sorry.  I’ll try to breathe louder next time.”  Gladio ran his fingers through his hair, but it did little to smooth his bedhead.

“You know, for a big guy, you’re awfully quiet.”  Prompto squeezed past Gladio back to his shared bedroom with Noctis. 

The prince was still in bed, buried in a cocoon of blankets.

“Hey Noct?” Prompto felt around for Noctis beneath the blankets.  It took a minute, but he found one of Noctis’s arms. “Noct, wake up.”

Noctis didn’t respond.

“Come on Noct.  Iggy says breakfast is ready.”

Noctis shifted beneath the mound of blankets and poked his head out.  “What did he make?”

“Bacon.  And he was making eggs when I left,” Prompto responded.

“Huh…” Noctis sat there for a minute before freeing himself from the blankets.  He yawned and stretched before trudging behind Prompto to the kitchen and sat down in one of the chairs.

“Is his highness awake yet?” Gladio asked.

“Not technically.  I’m only here because there’s food,” Noctis said.

“Well, that’s one way to get you out of bed,” Ignis said as he started setting the table.  Once everyone had a plate and set of utensils, he set the food down. Everything was still hot and fresh off the stove.

“Looks good Specs,” Noctis said before digging in.  He still considered it too early to be coherent, but breakfast helped him wake up significantly.

There was little chatter as the men ate.  The most prominent noise was the clinking of forks on their plates.

Gladio was the first to finish eating.  He leaned back in his chair with his eyes closed and rubbed at his stomach.  “I’m stuffed.”

“Me too.”  Prompto pushed his plate away from him.  “So what are we doing today Iggy?”

“I remember you saying something about ‘one park per day,’ but you never said what order,” Gladio said.

“I figured we could start with Animal Kingdom,” Ignis said.  “It’s the-”

“Animal Kingdom?” Prompto cut Ignis off.  “Do they have Chocobos? Can we ride them?”

Ignis sighed and readjusted his glasses. “Unfortunately there are no Chocobos, but there are other animals we can see.  There’s a rather impressive safari I thought you might be interested in.”

“Animals?  Really?” Noctis made a noise of disgust and frowned.  “If you wanted to go see animals so badly, couldn’t we go to a zoo in Eos?”

“I assure you, this is no ordinary zoo.  I’m sure your opinion will change when we arrive.  Not only are there animals, there’s a petting zoo, shows, and multiple rides.  Noct I thought you might be fond of one particular roller coaster. It’s capable of moving forwards and backwards along the track, and is one of the first of its kind,” Ignis explained.  “I tried to make sure each park would have something for everyone to enjoy.”

“Roller coaster?  Now you’re talking.”  Noctis’s frown tipped up into a small smile.

“What’s in it for me, Iggy?” Gladio asked.

"There's many stalls where you can try different foods from around the world.  And of course you get to spend the day with me," Ignis said.  

"That's true," Gladio said with a grin. 

"And I made sure my camera is already to go, so I'll be sure to take some sweet pics!" Prompto was beaming. "When do we leave?" 

Ignis checked the time.  "The monorail system should be open now, so we can leave once everyone is finished eating."

"Monorail?" Noctis asked.  "What the hell is that?"

"It's system of transportation that the park system is well known for. It consists of a network of trains that as the name suggests, run on a track with a singular rail," Ignis explained.  "The monorail will take us to the bus that runs directly to the park. We should get going if we want to arrive by the time the park opens.”

Noctis stretched and leaned back in his chair until it was balancing on two legs.  "I'm ready. I want to see if this park is worth it."

Ignis cleared the table and washed all of the plates.  He arranged them in the dish rack and left them to dry.  Once the kitchen was clean, he made sure he had their tickets downloaded on his phone and double checked that he had the park map.  He briefly looked it over, mentally checking off all of the spots where Prompto would want to stop to take pictures. He looked over the schedule of shows for the day, deciding on the viewing times when they all would need a break from the heat.  It wasn't nearly as bad here as it was in Lestallum, but none of them other than Gladio were used to being out in the sun all day. 

"Come on Iggy!" Prompto called from the hallway.  "We're gonna miss the train!"

"On my way." Ignis slipped his phone in his pocket and followed the other boys out the door. 

The humidity hit them hard as soon as they opened the door. 

"Oh god." Noctis scowled.  "I can barely breathe."

"The humidity should ease up later."

"I hope so."  Gladio peered out over the water and watched as the fog swirled above the waves.  "How are we going to find the train in that?"

Prompto looked over too and snapped a quick picture.  "It looks pretty cool, but I don't want to walk around in that."

"Luckily for you, you don't have to for long.  The monorail station is up on a platform."

"Cool. Lead the way Iggy!" Prompto kept a tight grip on his camera as he got a few more shots. 

Ignis followed the trail back to the resort with the rest of the party in tow.  They maneuvered their way through the resort and up a set of stairs to a door. They had just long enough of a break from the humidity to let the sweat dry on their skin before stepping outside onto a platform.  The entrance to the monorail station was surrounded by bushes and large masks of a similar style to the ones in their room. Thankfully the resort had thought ahead and had large fans placed strategically around the station to circulate cooler air as they waited. 

"How long do we have to wait for this thing?" Gladio asked. 

"The trains run every ten minutes or so." 

Noctis looked around the station, noting the number of families with small children.  "Hey Specs, there's an awful lot of kids here."

"With good reason.  This is a popular destination spot for children, but many sources said that there are plenty of activities for adults as well." 

As they waited for the train, more families crowded onto the wooden platform, squeezing everyone closer together.  There was a collective sigh of relief when the train finally pulled into sight. The train was white, and had large windows on each side to out out through. This particular train had a sky blue stripe running along its length.  It came to a stop, and a moment later the doors opened, releasing a refreshing burst of cold air. 

The crowd on the platform split up as they divided themselves among the train cars.  The four boys were able to get a car together and sat down on the blue leather seats. 

"It feels amazing in here," Prompto said.  He took out his camera and started clicking away at the lagoon across from the station.  

"Yeah." Noctis rested his head against the wall of the train and closed his eyes.  "Perfect place to take a nap."

"Don't get too comfortable," Gladio said.  "We're not going to be here that long."

"Gladio's right," Ignis said.  "It's only a few minutes ride to the Transportation Center and then we will find our bus."

_ “Please stand clear of the doors.  Por favor manténgase alejado de las puertas.”   _ After the announcement, the doors closed and they were on their way.

True to Ignis's word, it was only a short trip to the Transportation Center.   Most of the families exited and crossed the platform to take a different train. Ignis led the party down a ramp, through a gate and down to a covered bus station. 

"Do all of these busses go to the same place?" Prompto asked as looked around to see just how many busses there were. 

"Not all of them, no."  Ignis checked the directory and the signs flashing from the front of each bus. He found the bus stops for Animal Kingdom and headed towards it. "They go to all of the parks and other Disney owned properties."

"How many parks are there?" Noctis asked.  He followed closely behind Ignis to get under the shade provided by the structure covering the bus stop. 

"There are four main ones and two water parks.  The rest of the busses go to the hotels and shopping districts," Ignis explained. 

“Shopping districts?” Gladio chuckled.  “Good thing we didn’t bring Iris with us.  She’d go crazy.”

A bus pulled up to their station a few minutes later and the small crowd of people that had gathered as they waited poured into the open doors.  The four men grabbed seats close to the front that were facing each other, since they offered Gladio the most amount of legroom.

Before long, the bus pulled past a sign that read ‘Animal Kingdom’ and stopped at another station.

“Are we there yet?” Noctis asked.

“We still have to walk to the gate, but yes, we’ve arrived at the park,” Ignis replied. 

They followed the signs posted around the station to the main entrance, passing by many different leafy plants not found in Eos.  Prompto tried to get pictures of as many of them as possible, making sure to get extra detailed pictures of the flowers when he could.

“Are you going to take pictures of everything here?” Noctis asked.  

“Yeah!  How could I not?”  Prompto checked the last picture before rushing forward to catch up with the group.  “This is a once in a lifetime photo op. Who knows if we’ll ever get a chance to come here again.”

They followed the winding sidewalk for some time before they approached a ticket stand made of intricately carved wood stained in different colors.

“Woah.”  Prompto looked around as the got closer, taking in all of the stands and small shops.

“This is just the entrance,” Ignis said.  “Once we pass through the security checkpoint, we can each pick up a map and decide what we want to do first.”

They joined the short line of people and filed through the metal detector.  Thankfully none of them had brought bags, so they were able to avoid the longer line at the bag check.  Just past the security gate they picked up maps and searched through all of the different activities the park had to offer.

“The safari’s towards the back of the park?” Gladio said as he traced his finger along the map to find the description.  “Looks like we could see some pretty cool animals.”

“Really?  Let’s check that out first!” Prompto was practically vibrating with excitement.  

“Animals?  Hell no, I came here to have fun,” Noctis said.  “Come on, there’s a ride over here in… Asia? You get to ride a speeding train and try to avoid getting grabbed by a yeti.”

“Please Noct?  I wanna see the animals,” Prompto whined.

“We can look at the animals later.  Let’s go before there’s a long line.”  Noctis grabbed Prompto’s arm and started pulling him in the direction of the ride.

“I suppose we’ll split up then.  I trust both of your phones are fully charged,” Ignis said.

“Yup.  Mine was charging all night,” Noctis said.  He started tugging Prompto more. “Come on!”

“Don’t have too much fun without us,” Gladio said with a smirk.

“We should probably find our way to the safari before it gets too crowded,” Ignis said as they watched Prompto and Noctis’s forms disappear into the crowd of people surrounding them  

“Good idea.  “Where are we now?”  Gladio opened his map again.

“Based on the shops around us, we’re in the Oasis.  If we cross the bridge in front of us and head to the left, we’ll find it.”

“Lead the way Iggy.”

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

“This park’s a lot bigger than the map makes it look.”  Gladio tried and failed to hide how labored his breathing was from the walk over to the safari. 

“I agree.”  Ignis pulled to the side to check his map again.  He had a good picture of it in his head, but it never hurt to make sure.  “We’re nearly there. It should be just around the corner.”

Gladio followed closely behind Ignis, trying not to lose sight of the other man in the growing crowds.  They crossed onto a walkway with a thatch roof, and followed the winding path this way and that way until they reached a platform.  A man in a khaki uniform directed them to a gate and they boarded the vehicle.

“Never seen a car like this before,” Gladio said as he scooted all the way to the edge of their bench.  Thankfully they didn’t have to share it with anyone.

“There’s aren’t exactly roads on this attraction.  They need a vehicle strong enough to withstand those harsh conditions.”  Ignis adjusted his glasses and looked at the plants that surrounded them.

“Good morning folks,” their driver greeted as everyone on the truck took their seats.  “Welcome to our safari and as a reminder, please keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the vehicle at all times.  Make sure to keep small children seated either next to you or in your lap so they don’t fall out of the truck. And remember, if you drop anything outside of the truck we cannot stop and go back for it, so make sure to hold on tight to all your belongings, including your cameras.

Gladio draped his arm loosely around Ignis’s shoulders.  “Don’t worry Iggy. I’ll make sure you don’t fall out.”

“Thank you, but I’m perfectly capable of staying seated on my own.  I’m not Prompto.”

“Do you wanna sit in my lap so you can see better?” Gladio asked with a grin.

“I believe I’m tall enough to see without any assistance.”  Ignis scooted a bit closer to Gladio and leaned his head against the older man’s shoulder as the truck pulled away from the boarding platform.  He wasn’t typically one for public displays of affection, but they were on vacation. It wouldn’t hurt to allow himself to relax a little.

They pulled into a forest, with thin, leafy trees surrounding them on either side of the gravel path.  At first, it seemed uninhabited. The only noises were the crunching of the tires on the path and the people talking behind them.  As they pulled further into the forest, tiny signs of life began appearing. Broken branches where animals had carved out their own paths through the trees, and footprints of all shapes and sizes.  Before long, they rolled up on their first wild inhabitant.

“The animals here sure do look weird,” Gladio said as he eyed the creature.  It stood on four legs, and the front half was solid brown, while the back had black and white stripes.

“I’m sure many of the people here would say the same thing about our creatures,” Ignis said.

The driver pointed out different animals as they drove past, and listed off a few interesting facts about each.  

“Is that supposed to be a dualhorn?” Gladio asked.  He leaned towards the edge of the truck to get a better view.  “Shouldn’t it be… I don’t know, bigger?”

“Yes, and the horns are in the wrong location if I remember correctly.  Could be a regional difference.”

The driver took them by a shallow river filled with different animals neither Gladio nor Ignis had ever seen before.  The river parted with the path and they were back in the forest again. Before long, the trees opened up to a grassy plain.  It was spotted with trees that looked like they had been planted upside down, and towering formations made out of red rocks and dirt.  There were more animals roaming in this part of the safari. Large beasts with tall horns, and one animal with a neck longer than Gladio was tall, and brown rectangular spots on it's back. 

"Why is that thing just sitting there?" Gladio asked as he pointed out one of the long necked creatures.  "Is it sick or something?"

"That there is a giraffe," the driver said.  "They only sleep for about thirty minutes a day, and make up for it by spending short periods doing nothing."

"Noctis would love that," Gladio said with a chuckle. 

"I highly doubt that. He gets cranky anytime he gets less than ten hours." 

"True."

The driver continued through the savanna, pointing out more animals as the passed by.  They were even lucky enough to see some of the more elusive animals. The driver pulled through another small forest, and before they knew it they were back at the loading platform. 

"I hope you enjoyed your safari, and remember to come back later, because no two safaris are ever the same," the driver said as they departed the bus. 

"Not bad," Gladio said as they wound their way through the polls to the exit.  "What did you think?"

"It was rather interesting. I figured the animals would be different from what were used to at home, but I didn't think they would be that different.  Then again, according to the map, these animals aren't native to this area."

"It must have been hell trying to get them here.  Didn't that driver said the… the elephants weighed over a ton?"

"I'm certain they have special equipment for transporting animals that large." Ignis pulled out the map and looked over the attractions in the area.  "Where should we go next?"

"I don't know.  How about you pick?"

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

"We’re getting on that?" Prompto asked as he looked up at the peak of the mountain. "It's huge!"

“Yeah, let’s go!”  Noctis took Prompto’s hand and half led, and half dragged the blond behind him.  They stepped around families and other small crowds as they made their way to the entrance of the ride.  

“Hey Noct, you might wanna check this out,” Prompto said.  He dug his heels into the pavement and yanked his hand back, managing to break Noctis’s iron grasp around his wrist.

“What’s up?”

“The wait time for this ride is thirty minutes.  Are you sure you want to wait that long?”

Noctis looked at Prompto with a smirk turning up the corners of his lips.  “Are you chickening out on me already?”

“What?  No way! I just didn’t want us to waste all of our vacation waiting in lines.”

“Well then let’s get in line before it gets any longer.”

A few people had already slid their way past Noctis and Prompto into the line as the boys deliberated.

As they moved through the line, they passed a well kept outdoor garden.  Small stakes had been placed near various plants to label what they were.  Ribbons covered in flags were tacked up along the ceiling of the courtyard and streamed down to the ground.  Scattered throughout the garden were statues of fearsome looking creatures, with big eyes and sharp teeth.

“What’s that thing?” Prompto asked, pointing to the nearest statue.

“I don’t know.  It’s probably that yeti thing we’re supposed to be running away from,” Noctis said.

“If we’re supposed to be running away from it, then why are we heading right to it?”

The line continued moving forward at a steady pace, and cut through a building.  Inside were pictures of many of the animals that lived in the different areas of the Himalayas, and foot castings of some of them.  Further inside the building were the remains of a campsite. The tent had been slashed to ribbons, and the sleeping bags inside were completely decimated.  The fabric had been ripped apart, and the filling was everywhere.

“What do you think happened there?” Prompto asked.

Noctis squinted to read the plaque beside the tent.  “The remains of an expedition to Everest. The campers had a fatal encounter with the yeti.”

“I guess it’s not a friendly yeti then.  I’m sure it doesn’t want to be disturbed.  We should get go-”

Prompto cut off mid sentence as Noctis grabbed his hand.  “You’re not going anywhere,” Noctis said. “We already waited this long.  It would be a waste to turn back now.”

“Yeah… You’re right.”  Prompto bounced nervously as he shifted his weight back and forth on his feet.

“Are you really that scared?”

“I’m not scared!  I’ve just never been on a roller coaster before, so I don’t know what to expect.”  Prompto held on tightly to his camera, fiddling with some of the dials.

“I haven’t either, but it sounds like fun.  I can hold your hand while we’re on the ride if it would make you feel any better.”

“You’d do that?”

“Of course.”

“Thanks buddy.” Prompto smiled softly and slipped his hand into Noctis’s.

“Uh… Prompto.  We’re not on the ride yet.”

“Oh, I know.”

Noctis rolled his eyes playfully and gave Prompto’s hand a squeeze.

Soon they were at the front of the line, and were directed to a gate.  A small train pulled into the station, and the gates opened. Noctis and Prompto stepped inside and settled themselves in their seats.  

“You might want to put your camera in the bag down there.  I don’t think it would survive a fall down a mountain,” Noctis said.

“That’s true.  It’s kinda hard to take pictures one handed anyway.”  Prompto pulled the camera strap over his head and folded it so it would fit in the pouch by their feet.  He made sure the top was secured before pulling down the lap bar in front of them. “Is this going to be enough to make sure we don’t fall out?”

“We’ll be fine.  I saw some kids in line earlier.  If they didn’t fall out, you won’t either.”  Noctis made sure his own lap belt was tight enough before leaning back in his seat.

An attendant walked by to make sure their belts were in place, then gave the signal to start the ride.  The train slowly pulled out of the station, then gained speed as they spiraled through the mountain. The tracks were surrounded by low bushes and flowers of all shapes and sizes.  The train rounded another corner, then started up a sharp incline. The foliage around them disappeared as they passed through a tunnel carved into the mountain, giving way to rock and snow.  As they climbed, they passed through a shrine that had been built into the mountain. A tall arch framed a faded painting of a creature that matched the statues from the line below.

“Do you think that’s what the yeti really looks like?” Prompto asked.  “It kinda looks like a daemon.”

“I don’t know.  I’ve never heard of it before.  Who knows, it might not even be real.  It sounds like a monster from those scary campfire stories Gladio likes to tell.”

“Uh… Noct?” Prompto’s eyes widened with alarm as they pulled up to the end of the track.  The rails had been ripped up, and were curled over their heads. “What do we do?” He reached out frantically for Noctis’s hand.

The train came to a complete stop a few feet from the warped section of tracks.

“They ride must be broken or something,” Noctis said.  He grabbed Prompto’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.  

The train moved with a creak, then suddenly they were careening backwards through the mountain.

Prompto squeezed his eyes shut and held onto Noctis’s hand as tight as he could.  His stomach felt like it was being forced upward into his throat. Was this all part of the ride, or were they in real danger?  He opened his eyes again after they jerked to a sudden stop. Above them was an image of train tracks. A large, shadowy figure swung into view and ripped up each side of the tracks, one after the other.  It roared, a deep, feral noise ripping from its throat before swinging away from view.

This was a projection.  Maybe it was part of the ride after all.  Prompto kept telling himself that. There was no way the park would be open if a real creature that dangerous was on the loose, right?

The train started moving forward again, in and out of caves that dotted the side of the mountain.  In one cave, there was another roar, only much louder this time. Prompto looked up to see a hairy creature, easily two to three times the size of Gladio hanging from one of the tunnel’s support beams.  It’s sharp teeth were bared as it swiped down at the car. Prompto ducked as much as his seat would allow to stay out of reach. The creature roared again as they exited the tunnel, and rolled back down the side of the mountain.  The flowers from earlier dotted the ground around them. They turned a corner, and pulled back into the station.

Prompto took a few moments to catch his breath before collecting his camera and looped the strap over his head. 

“That was awesome!” Noctis exclaimed as they found the exit.

“Are you kidding me?  That was terrifying!” Prompto’s hands were shaking so bad that holding onto his camera made it more obvious.  He shoved his hands in his pockets to try to hide it.

“No it wasn’t!  I thought the ride was broken at first, but then it started going backwards!.  And the yeti at the end. I didn’t get a good look at it because it was dark, but from what I could see it looked amazing.  And then how it reached down for us, I thought-”

“Okay, okay, I get the point Noct.”  All of the elements that Noctis thought were cool, Prompto thought the exact opposite.  “How about we go find something a little less… something that’s not a thrill ride.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

“Can we at least find something where we won’t get chased by a monster?” Prompto asked.

“I guess that’s fair.  “Where’s your map?”

“Didn’t you get one too?”

“Yeah, but it’s easier if we’re both looking at the same thing.”

Prompto pulled his map out of his pocket and unfolded it before handing it to Noctis.  His hands were still shaking too badly to hold it steady.

“Let’s see what else is nearby.”  Noctis looked over the map to see what attractions were in the area.  The last thing he wanted to do was constantly go back and forth across the park.  “There’s a river rapids ride for the god Kali. You might get wet, but I don’t think anything chases you.”

“What about my camera.  I can’t get that wet.”  

“It’s not a guarantee.  It says you  _ might _ get wet.”

“I still don’t want to risk it.”

“Leave it at the entrance or something.  I’m sure someone can hold onto it for you.”  Noctis checked the map again. “Looks like there’s some lockers nearby.  We can rent one and you can leave your camera in there. Then we can pick it up once we’re done.”

“That’ll work.  Let’s go!”

They walked together to the locker rental station hand in hand.  It took a bit of trial and error, but they were able to figure out how to rent a locker from the kiosk.  Once Prompto was sure his camera would be safe, they crossed the path to their next ride. The interior of the line had a much different theme than the last.  Thin columns supported a tented roof, offering them protection from the elements. There were statues in this line too, but instead of a monster, they depicted a man with four arms.  In one hand he held a short sword, in another a trident, in another a saucer, and in the last hand...

“Is that a head?” Prompto asked.

“Looks like it.”

“I thought our Six were scary enough.  I don’t think I like this guy.”

Around the figure’s neck was a necklace made of human heads.

“Keep moving.  We’re holding up the line,” Noctis said.  He didn’t want to admit it, but even he was feeling uneasy the longer they looked at the statue.

They got to the front of the line and were assisted on a circular moving platform.  An attendent helped them into a raft and instructed them on how to buckle the seat belt.  A few more people joined them in their raft, and once they were all buckled, they floated down a short stream, then onto a wide belt that started up an incline.

“How are we not falling off?” Prompto asked as he looked around.

“We’re probably hooked on or something.  I don’t know how these work. I’m a prince, not an engineer.”

At the top of the incline, the belt pushed them into the river, and the current carried them away.  Geysers of water erupted around them, immediately soaking the family across from them.

“I hope we don’t get too wet,” Noctis said.  “I didn’t bring extra clothes.”

“There’s plenty of stores around.  I’m sure we could find you something,” Prompto said.

Their raft floated around a bend in the river, and the current sped up.  The rapids became more turbulent, bouncing their raft every which way. The lush trees and shrubs around them gave way to piles of burnt logs.

“What do you think happened here? Prompto asked.  He watched as smoke rose from some of the wood.

“Part of the ride I guess.  It gives you something to look at.”

The raft turned as they continued moving faster and faster down the rapids.  Noctis and Prompto were facing backwards as the raft fell down a steep drop. A wave crashed over the side of the raft, raining down over the boys.

“So much for not getting wet,” Noctis said.  He shook the water out of his hair and squeezed the edge of his shirt.  He was soaked.

Prompto’s hair was lying flatter than it had been this morning.  “Yeah, I know.” He was worse off than Noctis. Both his shirt and pants were dripping.

The raft was speeding down the rapids now.  It passed through a cave, then under a jet of water.  They passed a bridge, where a spray of water took them by surprise before they returned to the loading platform.

“There’s a ride I wouldn’t mind going on again,” Prompto said as they climbed out of the raft.

“You didn’t like the first one?” Noctis teased.  “Don’t tell me you were scared of a giant robot.”

“All I’m saying is a ride is more fun when there isn’t something chasing you.”

“Whatever.”

“Anyway, what do you wanna do now?” Prompto asked.

“We should probably meet up with Ignis and Gladio soon.  Unless there was something else you wanted to do first.”

Prompto pulled his map out of his pocket, but it was so wet that the sections were sticking together.  He managed to separate one of the folds, but when he tried to open it the map tore in two. “Uh… A little help buddy?”

“Let’s find you a new map.”

They didn’t have to look far.  A stand near the lockers where Prompto had stored his camera contained maps and other park information.  Prompto picked up a map and held onto it so it wouldn’t meet the same fate as his first. “There’s a hiking trail not too far away.  I could get some cool pictures of the animals. Can we go Noct? Pretty please? You said we could look at the animals later, and it is later,”  Prompto clasped his hands together as he begged.

“Hiking?”  Noctis groaned.  “Fine. Let me call Ignis.”  He dialed the number and waited for a response.

Ignis picked up within a couple of rings.  “Need something Noct?”

“Hey Specs.  Prompto wants to go on a hiking trail to look at some animals.  Meet us there?”

“Which trail?  There’s more than one.”

“Uh…”  Noctis held the phone away from his face.  “Which trail do you want to go on?”

“This one.”  Prompto pointed to the trail closest to them on the map.  “It should be right there.” He pointed down a path that extended past the entrance to the river ride.

“It’s number thirty eight on the map.”

“I see.  We just got off of the safari.  We’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

“See you.”  Noctis hung up.  “Ignis said he would meet us there.”

“Sweet!  Come on!”  Prompto took Noctis’s hand and led the prince to the entrance of the trails.  “Tigers and monkeys here I come.”

“You don’t even know what those are.”

“No, but they sound cool!  The map even says they have a dragon!”

“A dragon?  Let me see that.”  Noctis took Prompto’s map and read the description of the attraction.  “Komodo dragon? Sounds cool.”

They stood by the entrance, watching the people pass by as they waited.  Prompto was the first to see Gladio and Ignis, and flagged them down.

“I didn’t think a park like this would have hiking trails,” Gladio said.  “I’m pretty excited for this.”

“As I said before, I tried to make sure there was something for everyone,” Ignis said.  He frowned as he turned to Noctis and Prompto. “Why are you two wet?”

“We went on a river rapid ride and got soaked,” Prompto explained.  “It’s right over there if you wanna check it out.”

“I think I’ll pass,” Ignis said.

“I don’t see why you like hiking so much.  It’s so much work just to go on a walk,” Noctis said.

“You do it for the exercise and the scenery,” Gladio said.  “There’s some really nice places out there that you can only get to on foot.”

“Come on, I don’t want to miss the dragon!”  Prompto exclaimed as he checked the settings on his camera.

“Dragon?”  Gladio asked.  “You’re right. Wouldn’t want to miss that.”

The start of the trails were lined with trees, and the path narrowed as they retreated further in.  The forest around them was quiet, but they soon heard rustling in the tree branches above them.

“What’s that?”  Prompto asked.

“I’m not sure,” Ignis replied.  “I can’t see anything.”

There was more movement, and a small figure dropped down a few branches as it came into view.  Prompto zoomed in as close as he could and snapped away.

Gladio found a sign with information about some of the animals.  “It’s a monkey. They live in the trees and love climbing.”

“Aww, it’s kind of cute.”  Prompto took more pictures as a few more monkeys swung down from the tree tops.

They continued down the trail, through the remains of an old city.  The paint on the buildings was faded, but the images could still be made out.

“They really went all out with the decorations here,” Prompto said.

“I’m sure it’s for the animals comfort just as much as it is for our entertainment,” Ignis said.

They took a side path, and a sign outside one of the smaller buildings read ‘Dragon’.

“They keep the dragon inside?” Noctis asked.  “I hope it’s not tiny…”

Inside the building was an exhibit about the Komodo Dragon.  

“These things can grow up to ten feet long,” Gladio said as he read the info signs around them.  “That’s not bad.”

“And their saliva is full of proteins and toxins that can be lethal to us,” Ignis said.  “Not a creature I would want to stumble across in the wild.”

“So in other words,” Noctis said.

“Don’t get bitten.”

Past the building was an outdoor enclosure.  Sitting on top of a rock was a brown gray lizard.  It occasionally flicked its tongue out as people passed by.”

“That’s it?”  Noctis asked. “That’s the dragon.”

“It would still make for a formidable foe,” Ignis said.  

“Yeah right.  It’s not even doing anything,” Noctis said.

The dragon lifted its head and turned to face Noctis.

“Maybe we could put you in that exhibit instead,” Gladio said with a smirk.

“Hey…” Noctis scowled and looked away.

“Why don’t we see what other animals are here,” Ignis suggested.

“Hold on a minute.”  Prompto took a few pictures before nodding.  “Okay, now we can go.”

They continued down the trail, passing over a lake as they rounded a corner to the next exhibit.  This one held the tigers, which Noctis found more impressive than the dragon.

“You think I could pet one?” Noctis asked.

“You could, but I doubt it would be a wise idea.  They’re in an enclosure for a reason,” Ignis said.

“Still, I like the colors,” Prompto said.  He took pictures of the tigers as they lounged on a rock, or walked around.  “Do you think they sell clothes with tiger print on them?”

“You don’t need any more patterns,” Noctis said.  “You’re already a walking fashion disaster.”

“What?  No I’m not!  My clothes look great.”

“I’m gonna have to agree with Noct on this one,” Gladio said.  He leaned forward to get a better look at the tigers, immediately stepping back as one yawned and bared its sharp teeth.

Past the tiger exhibit was the end of the trail.  The boys found a bench they could sit on as they plotted their next activity.

“I don’t want to go on another trail,” Noctis said.

“Let’s go to the safari then,” Prompto suggested.  I get to see the animals, and you don’t have to walk around.  It’s the best of both worlds.”

“Fine, but after that, no more animals.”

“Noct, it’s called  _ Animal _ Kingdom.  You  _ have _ to check out all the animals,” Prompto said.

“If we go on the safari, I get to pick what we do next,” Noctis said.

“Works for me.  Let’s go!”

“Gladio and I have already been on that, so you two enjoy yourselves,” Ignis said.  “When you’re done, we can meet up for lunch.”

“See you later Iggy,” Prompto said.  He took Noctis’s hand and dragged him off towards the other side of the park.

They passed a market square, where a group of performers plaid drums, sang, and dance.  They stopped for a few minutes to watch before moving on.  

The area in front of the entrance to the safari was packed with people.  Everyone was moving in all different directions, making it difficult to push through the crowd.  Eventually Prompto was able to get through with Noctis in tow.

“Ninety minutes?” Noctis asked as he read the wait time.  “Hell no.”

“Please Noct?  Maybe the line will move faster when we’re in it?”

“Alright,” Noctis grumbled.  A ninety minute wait to see animals?  He was already cranky, and this wasn’t helping.  Neither was the sun beating down on their backs. The temperature had risen significantly since they left the hotel, and being in the middle of the crowd made it worse.  At least it helped their clothes dry.

“I’ll treat you to some ice cream on our way to lunch,” Prompto said.

That did help.  “Sounds like a plan.”  

They joined the line, watching as it twisted around in front of them to accommodate all of the people.

 

~ ~ ~ ~

 

“What should we do next?” Gladio asked.

Ignis was looking through the map.  “There is a ride down here where you help save a dinosaur from extinction,” he said as he pointed it out on the map.  “It sounds interesting.”

“After you.”

Ignis started towards the ride, but stopped as he felt Gladio’s hand close around his own.

“Is something wrong?” Ignis asked.

“No.  Is this okay?”  Gladio asked.

Ignis pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.  “I… Yes.” Deep down, he had been silently hoping that Gladio would hold his hand as they walked through the park.  It was innocuous enough.

They walked hand in hand through the park.  Gladio gave Ignis’s hand a gentle squeeze from time to time, which Ignis happily returned.

“Next time I’m gonna pick out what we do so we don’t keep walking from one end of the park to the other,” Gladio said.  “Noct is the one who needs the exercise, not me.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ignis said.

Gladio stopped dead in his tracks.  “What the hell is that thing?”

A massive figure towered over them.  It’s head was huge, and filled with a row of sharp teeth.  Short arms protruded in front of it, each ending in a set of claws.  The figure had a long tail that helped balance the weight of its head.

“I’m not sure.  Let’s have a closer look.”

A small group of people were crowded around the creature’s feet.  It took a few minutes before they were able to get close enough to find more information.

“Tyrannosaurus Rex.  A dinosaur that died out millions of years ago,” Ignis said as he read the information plaque.

“Good thing that’s not around anymore,” Gladio said.  Fighting that would be worse than going up against a Dualhorn.”

“Let me take a picture for Prompto.  He would want to see to see this.” Ignis stepped back so he could get all of the statue in frame.  He took the picture and sent it to Prompto.

_ Ignis:  I thought you might enjoy this. _

_ Prompto:  That’s so cool!  Where are you? _

_ Ignis:  Dinoland.  You can’t miss it. _

Ignis put his phone away.  “The ride should be just up ahead.”

“I think it’s in the building over there,” Gladio said.  He walked towards it and found the sign to the entrance of the line.  “Wait time’s not too bad. Still wanna ride?”

Ignis slipped his hand into Gladio’s with a soft smile.  “Yes. Let’s go.”

As they walked inside, they were blasted by cold air and sighed happily.  It was getting hotter outside, so the cool air offered them a much needed break.  They walked through the line, but it was surprisingly empty. As they moved further in, there were plaques on the wall with information about different dinosaurs, and their periods in history, accompanied by fossils, paintings, and photographs. The line opened up into a circular room, with rocks lining the walls.  In the center was a skeleton of similar shape and size to the beast outside of the ride. 

They made it to the front of the line, and watched a short film before they were directed to their seats.

“So we’re about to go back in time?” Gladio asked as he fastened his seatbelt.

“I’m sure it’s all part of the experience.  I highly doubt they possess the technology to really send anyone through time.”  Ignis climbed into the vehicle next to Gladio and buckled himself in.

“You have to admit, they put a lot of thought into all of these rides.  It’s impressive.”

“Yes, the attention to detail is remarkable.”

Once the rover was fully boarded, it started moving slowly down the track.  The lights flashed and the rover shook and bounced on the track. Ignis reached for Gladio’s hand and clutched it tightly.  

“You alright Iggy?”  Gladio asked.

“Yes.  I wasn’t prepared for this much shaking is all.”

Gladio held onto Ignis’s hand and kissed it gently.  “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

“Thank you.”  Ignis smiled softly and gave Gladio’s hand another squeeze.

As the tunnel grew darker their vehicle leveled out and the tunnel opened up into a tropical jungle with trees spread about.  A creature with four legs and horns on its head greeted them with a ferocious roar as they passed by.

“I can’t imagine having to fight any of these things,” Gladio said.

“I agree.  According to the plaques outside, this isn’t the biggest they can get.”

“They get bigger?”

“Much bigger.”

“What was that about a meteor shower?” Gladio asked as an announcement came through the speakers.  

“I’m sure it’s not a real one.  The park wouldn’t put us in real danger,” Ignis said.

They passed by another creature with a smaller dinosaur in its mouth.

“Good thing we’re not on the menu,” Gladio said.

Their rover zoomed around a tight turn through another tunnel before stopping in front of a dinosaur larger than all of the others they had seen.  This one had short arms, sharp teeth, and horns sticking out from its head. After the computer identified the creature, their rover sped off again as bright orange lights started to fall around them.

“You think this is the meteor shower they were talking about?” Gladio asked.

“I believe so.”

“So much for getting in and out before it starts.  You think we’ll make it?”

“I’m sure we will.  As I said, the park wouldn’t knowingly put us in danger like that.”

“I’d love to ride this with Prompto.  It would probably scare the pants right off him.”

“Just don’t scare him too much.  Neither Noctis nor I would be very happy with you if Prompto woke up to nightmares about being eaten by dinosaurs,” Ignis said.

“Fine...”

They were surrounded by the fierce cries of the creatures passing by them.  A head poked out from the vegetation on their left, its loud roar shaking the trees around them.  As they continued down a track, another creature flew in, almost swooping low enough to touch their heads.  Gladio ducked reflexively, then straightened up once the creature was out of sight.

“It’s not going to hurt you.  You had plenty of room,” Ignis said.

“It looked like it was going to take my head clean off!”

_ “Meteor impact in sixty seconds.” _

“We’re cutting it pretty close, don’t you think?” Gladio asked.

Small dinosaurs rushed all around them as the lights flashed and flickered.  More orange lights fell to the ground as the meteors began to fall. Their cart swerved as it tried to avoid the incoming flaming rocks.  More lights flashed as more and more meteors crashed down. An announcement to abort the mission played over the speakers as their cart continued its evasive maneuvers to avoid impact.  They passed their target, the Iguanodon, without slowing down. The trees around them glowed orange as the meteors set their leaves and branches ablaze. The lights flashed again as they moved forward and came face to face with the dinosaur from earlier.  It bared its sharp teeth just as they narrowly passed under its mouth and through another dark tunnel. Their rover bounced and jolted, then the lights flashed red and white before going dark. Their cart continued winding through the darkness before it pulled back into the station.

“That was certainly an adventure Ignis said as he climbed out of the rover.  

Gladio followed close behind him as they made their way to the exit.  “Yeah. Hey what time is it?”

Ignis pulled out his phone to check.  “Nearly lunch time. Should we see if Noctis and Prompto want to meet up to find something to eat?”

“Good idea.  Then we can figure out what else we want to do.”

Ignis dialed Noctis’s number and waited for him to pick up.

“Hey Specs.  What’s up?” Noctis asked.

“Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I’m starving.  You wanna meet up for lunch?”

“I was calling to ask you the same question.  What would you like to eat?”

“I don’t know.”  Noctis pulled the phone away from his face.  “What do you want to eat Prompto?”

Prompto shrugged.  “I’m up for anything.”

“Are you guys still in uh…” Noctis quickly checked the map.  “Dinoland?”

“We are.  We just finished the Dinosaur ride.”

“Looks like there’s a place by you that sells burgers, chicken nuggets, and fries.  Meet you there?”

“We’ll be waiting.”

Noctis ended the call and slipped his phone back in his pocket.  

“We’re getting nugs?” Prompto asked.  “What are we waiting for, let’s go!”  

“I’m coming.”  Noctis followed behind Prompto, struggling to keep up with his excited pace.  “The food’s not going anywhere you know.”

“Yeah, but I’m hungry now.”

“And we have to walk all the way across the park.  Slow down.”

“Aw, what?  You couldn’t have picked something closer?” Prompto whined.

“Less talking, more walking.  Gladio and Ignis are waiting for us.”

“Alright.  This food better be worth it.”

“I’m sure it will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was interesting trying to describe different rides, especially one's that I haven't been on before lol. I was originally going to have one chapter per park, but realized that that would be a bit too long, so I'm going to split them up a bit. I'm hope you all enjoyed the new chapter~


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